Low proposes school budget increase

Published 11:26 pm, Sunday, January 15, 2012

RIDGEFIELD -- School superintendent Deborah Low has proposed a $81.8 million school budget for the 2012-13 school year -- a 3.2 percent increase over the current $79.2 million.

In a presentation to the Board of Education last Monday, Low dubbed her proposal "a work in progress."

"It's not next year's budget," she said, pointing out that the school board, meeting with different school department heads this month, will get a chance to rethink her approach and change any budget requests it deems appropriate.

The board will vote on its proposed budget on Feb. 13 and present it to the Board of Finance. The finance board can make cuts in both the town and school budget as it sees fit before bringing the entire 2012-13 spending package to voters in a May referendum.

Last year, the finance board cut $850,000 from the school budget -- a move decried by school supporters. To make up that loss, Low pared down individual programs while keeping them all operating.

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To see School Superintendent Deborah Low's proposed 2012-13 school budget, go to the public schools website at www.ridgefield.org

Low pointed out that the last three school budgets all increased by less than 2 percent each year in an effort to tighten belts.

"We know these are challenging times," she said.

However, she said, those small increases have created some pent-up demands in the school system. For example, Low said, there has been less money allocated for professional development than in the past, even though teacher training is vital in keeping school standards high.

To keep the school budget as low as possible, the Board of Education in past years has reduced the number of bus runs every day, enacted a major energy conservation program, reduced health insurance costs by offering teachers health savings accounts and reduced staff and programs.

This year, Low said, she's starting a program to reduce the use of all paper in the system by one-third, for a projected savings of $136,000.

And while her proposed budget includes adding some teaching positions, it also cuts non-certified staff, for an increase of about three-quarters of one full-time equivalent position.

"I'm hoping you'll see this as a balanced package," she said to the board.